Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 295

COLUMBUS DAY in the United States

Columbus Day, which is annually on the second Monday of October, remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492. This holiday is controversial because the European settlement in the Americas led to the demise of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples.

Background
Christopher Columbus is often portrayed as the first European to sail to the Americas. He is sometimes portrayed as the discoverer of the New World. However, this is controversial on many counts. There is evidence that the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic were Viking explorers from Scandinavia. In addition, the land was already populated by indigenous peoples, who had 'discovered' the Americas thousands of years before.

Columbus Day originated as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and was first held in San Francisco in 1869. The first state-wide celebration was held in Colorado in 1907. In 1937, Columbus Day become a holiday across the United States. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. The date on which Columbus arrived in the Americas is also celebrated as the Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in Latin America and some Latino communities in the USA. However, it is a controversial holiday in some countries and has been re-named in others.

Columbus Day celebrations are controversial because the settlement of Europeans in the Americas led to the deaths of a very large proportion of the native people. It has been argued that this was a direct result of Columbus' actions. It is clear that the arrival of the European settlers led to the demise of a large proportion of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It has also been argued that Columbus should not be honored for discovering the United States, as he only went as far as some islands in the Caribbean and never got as far as mainland America.

Review: ACCELERATED by Bronwen Hruska

  4 of 5 stars




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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How far
would you go to help your child get ahead at school? This is the question being
put to Sean Benning. His son Toby is in third grade at the prestigious Bradley
School. The outrageous tuition is being paid his wife's parents. When the wife
takes off, Sean is left to pick up the pieces and take care of everything to do
with Toby's education.  When the school starts pressuring Sean to put Toby
on ADHD medication, he balks at the idea, but reluctantly he gives in. He
mistakenly believes that the school has only Toby's best interests at heart.
When a near-tragedy strikes, Sean uncovers a more sinister reason why so many
of Toby's classmates and for that matter, most of the students at Bradly, are
on ADD/ADHD medication.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This book
is timely especially in light of the rapid rise in ADD/ADHD diagnosis' being
made for today's grade school kids. Why are there so many more kids being
diagnosed with this condition and is a subjective impression by a health care
professional really enough evidence to accurately diagnosis this? I found the
beginning of the book a bit slow, but there is no doubt that Sean has only the
best interests of his son at heart. The difficulty of being a single parent
will ring true for a great many readers. This story highlights many of those difficulties
especially making life-changing decisions. I did find the whole "in
crowd" social parties a bit over the top with Bruce Springsteen and former
President Bill Clinton making appearances. I don't think they were needed to
highlight the differences between the wealthy elite and Sean's humble
circumstances. Readers who struggle with their own family issues of ADD/ADHD
will certainly find ACCELERATED an enlightening read. Recommended.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I received
this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. My
disclosure policy can be found here: <a href="http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/p... style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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Review: ICARUS (THE KINDRED) by J.S. Chancellor

  4 of 5 stars


Icarus (The Kindred) is a vampire book with a unique spin. The story follows Jess Slate, a covenant level assassin who is kidnapped by those who claim everything she knows about her life and her vampire boyfriend Trinity is a lie. She doesn't take kindly to that kind of information and worse still, they have ripped out her dosing disc for the life-saving drug Icarus. Icarus allows her to walk in the sunshine and keeps her from bursting into flames. 



The book is told in first person and Jess is quite a character. I love her snarky and witty personality while she is getting walloped and when she's giving her own ass-kicking to those who cross her. That was a treat to read and the author gets it right. The world the author paints is fully developed and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and getting to know all of the secondary characters.  The book is non-stop  action. Just when you think, there is a lull in the story, the author ramps it up two-fold. I will definitely be checking out more books by J.S. Chancellor. Recommended.

Spotlight: EleMental, Level 1 by Steven O'Connor

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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This is Level 1 of the young adult sci-fi thriller
'EleMental: A First-person Shooter' – newly republished as an ebook from the
original 2010 print edition and available exclusively through Amazon.  </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">One moment,
you're sitting at your desk, the next, you're battling something that's
half-dinosaur, half-tank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Set in 2050,
three teenagers encounter a deadly new virtual reality game called EleMental.
Deliberately designed to be highly addictive, to control rebellious asteroid
miners, EleMental has a by-product no one was ready for: gameblur - the
confusion of reality and virtuality.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Praise for the original print edition</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">'... a
fantastic and exciting debut novel by Steven O’Connor ... entertaining mix of
futuristic sci-fi, horror, action and angst ... this reads like Philip K Dick
for teenagers. With the narrative sneakily shifting between the real and
virtual worlds, O’Connor explores some fairly complex and sophisticated issues
in a thrilling and accessible way.'</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Bookseller+Publisher,
June 2010.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> '... the
author does an excellent job of creating Virtualitee, and by the end readers
might feel as if they have had a lucky escape from its clutches, too.'</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Booklist, May
2012.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>EleMental: Level 1 is FREE October 6 ONLY.</b></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">'EleMental: A
First-person Shooter (Levels 2-4)' is also currently being offered. Readers can collect
the set!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt;">Buy
links</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/EleMental-First... style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.com/EleMental-First...
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Amazon UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/EleMental-Fir... style="color: blue;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/EleMental-Fir...
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Author
Bio:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l1SzegZEX1U..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l1SzegZEX1U..." width="236" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Originally from Luton,
England, Steven O'Connor now lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife, two
teenage children and Sparks, his ever-attentive, ever-hungry Cavalier King
Charles spaniel (aka a toy dog).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">His initial manuscript for
'EleMental: A First-person Shooter' (or E-FPS) won him a coveted Young Adult
Fiction Writers' Mentorship at the national Varuna Writers' Centre in the Blue
Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The print edition of E-FPS
was first published in Australia as 'EleMental' by Pier 9/Murdoch Books in
2010. The 2012 'makeover edition' is now being offered exclusively through
Amazon in a series of level ebooks (1-4), or as the complete ebook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">'MonuMental', the follow
up, will be published soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When Steven O'Connor is
not writing, he's a health education social worker and he's passionate about
health promotion for young people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You can find out more
about Steven O'Connor from his website <a href="http://stevenoconnorwriting.com/&quot.... If you would
like to be kept up to date with Steven O'Connor's activities and free
promotions, you should subscribe to the ElaMentaList through his website.</span></div>
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Blog Tour Blast: SMILODON by Alan Nayes

Smilodon
Seven years after a near-fatal mauling by a grizzly bear, in which his only son was killed, Jason Bristol, a one time prize-fighter and expert animal tracker, is back in the woods tracking again--when he's not nursing the nearest fifth of whiskey.

Then Jason's best friend and mentor is discovered half-buried beneath a mat of pine needles. The prospector's mangled corpse has been mauled virtually beyond recognition. A rancher loses a prize thoroughbred and suddenly the nightmare responsible for Jason's downward spiral is rekindled as Jason is thrust back into the wilderness on the trail of a predator that defies belief.



 The time clock has begun for Norah Phelps, too, daughter of multimillionaire real estate developer Richard Phelps whose recent purchase of the 95,000 acre former Clarksdale Animal Preserve has pitted environmentalist and wildlife biologist daughter against capitalist father. Norah, responsible for relocating the local wolf population, remains unconvinced a pack of marauding wolves are accountable for the attacks and enlists Jason's help in her quest for the real killer before the spate of killings can jeopardize not only her future but also the future of her father's prize development project.

Against the majestic pristine backdrop of Idaho's Bitterroot Wilderness Area, the story unfolds. Jason, with Norah's assistance, soon discovers the ghosts of his past are nothing compared to the battle he's undertaken.

Smilodon. A saber-toothed cat. He's angry, he's frightened, he's hungry, and he's 12,000 years from home!



SMILODON 75,000 words or about 300 pages

Alan Nayes is the author of GARGOYLES , THE UNNATURAL , BARBARY POINT , and GIRL BLUE.

Buy on Amazon /Amazon UK / Barnesandnoble / Smashwords



 Follow Alan Nayes

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Blog / His website





The author is giving away a $25 Giftcard and ebook copies of GARGOYLES and PLAGUE book 1 and 2 of the Resuurrection Trilogy.



 Fill out the form below for your chance to win. Ends 10/21
a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Release: LOST UNICORN by Michelle Snyder

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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lost Unicorn</b>”
is an original fairy tale based on the historic use and meaning of the unicorn
symbol by an ancient northern European civilization lost in the mist of time. Michelle
Snyder’s work as a symbologist has brought to light new knowledge which is
presented in story form appealing to both children and adults. The book is
written with all the elements of our favorite childhood stories, and like our
favorite fairy tales, will be read to children over and over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The author drew from her lively family to come up with character
ideas. “Heroes, villains, and maidens are universal,” the author said. “They
are recognizable archetypes in every culture. I found my youngest daughter was
a great character study for my first princess – Shyla.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Michelle is
inspired by the Snow White and Prince Charming characters. “I love this story
and always suspected it was based on the lives of real people from Once-Upon-a-Time
long ago. Now I know who they were, and get to tell stories about their amazing
lives again.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The series captures the magic, heroics, and happily-ever-after
of ancient fairy tales. Her stories introduce you to talking fish, magical
fairies, evil wizards, and kings and queens of old. Strong willed princesses
and love stricken princes live happily ever after – after thwarting the evil
wizard and a harrowing rescue, that is!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Michelle wrote her thesis on decoding history through
symbols. She has written four books on the subject which reveal this lost
civilization, including her 5-star publication: “Symbology: Decoding Classic Images.”
Her fifth, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lost Unicorn</b>,” is
her first fiction in a series which includes mermaids, fairies, and dragons;
each written to convey the origin and meaning of these beloved symbols. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Lost Unicorn</b>” is available as an eBook
and print book on Amazon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Michelle lives near Boston with her husband, where they own
and operate White Knight Studio. She teaches classes in symbology and works
with a children's theater group. Her artwork, inspired by her love of symbols,
mythology, and folklore, has appeared in galleries from California to
Massachusetts.  Visit her website at <a href="http://www.whiteknightstudio.com/&quo.... </span></div>
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Review: INCREDIBLE DREAMS by Sandra Edwards

CURRENTLY ON SALE FOR $0.99

GRAB A COPY WHILE YOU CAN!










5 of 5 stars



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<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I've read
quite a few of Ms. Edward's books and with each one I think, I love this book
the best. That is, until I picked up INCREDIBLE DREAMS. What a fabulous book.
The story of Isabelle and Jack is unveiled in snippets expertly written to keep
you turning the pages. You won't want to stop reading once you start.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Isabelle
(Izzy) Miller is a modern-day ghost whisperer and she is hired by the
government to help the spirit of Captain Jack Baker leave and move on from an
abandoned military base. Izzy is confident that she can exorcise the reluctant
spirit, but events take a strange twist when her long-dead mother tells her
that she must save Jack. Save him? Izzy doesn't understand, but when a portal
opens up during her dreams allowing her to travel back to 1946, she is set on a
path that could change her life forever.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Throw in
an evil soul snatcher in the guise of a long-lost sister, Jeannie, who is bent
on stealing Izzy and Jack's souls, and you have the perfect villain.
Unfortunately, Izzy suffers from amnesia when she time travels and is unable to
know the difference between fact and fiction. All she knows is that from the
moment she meets Jack, her heart is stolen by the charming pilot. Will their
love blossom? Will that put Izzy's soul in more danger and what happens to
modern-day Izzy as she dreams of events in 1946? I couldn't read the pages fast
enough to find out. The book was that engrossing. Fans of romance will
thoroughly enjoy this book. Highly Recommended.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Buy Links:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">BN: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/incre... />
Kobo: <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Incred...
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<br /></div>
Amazon:<br />
<br />
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Interview with Jessica McHugh

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<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FT-F0MWWttw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FT-F0MWWttw..." width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Briefly
describe your journey in writing your first or latest book.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The first book I wrote is “Maladrid: the Tales of
Dominhydor, Book One.” It’s also my least favorite. Not because I dislike the
story; in fact, I really love my Dominhydor stories. The problem with “Maladrid”
is that I started it when I was 19, really just starting out as a serious
writer, and no matter how many times I edited it before it was published in
2010, I could never get 19-Year-Old Jess out of the manuscript. But as
unfortunate as that is, it’s also amazing to look back and see how much I’ve
grown as a writer and storyteller since then. If you would’ve told me 10 years
ago that I’d be on the cusp of my 12^th novel release, I would’ve spit
in your eye…then apologized…and spit again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How long
before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for
your first novel?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My first published novel was “Camelot Lost,” an Arthurian
Legend story. I sent it out to various publishers for several months and always
received the same response: a rejection based on the story being too similar to
Marion Zimmer Bradley’s “Mists of Avalon.” Well, as “Camelot Lost” bears very
little resemblance to “Mists of Avalon,” I was led to believe that these
publishers probably weren’t even reading the manuscript. It taught me a lot
about writing good query letters and summaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If I’d described the book better, maybe they would’ve been
more compelled to give it a chance. So, after a lot of rejections, I decided to
send it to PublishAmerica, a local POD company. It was accepted in late 2007
and published in July 2009.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Basically, I just wanted to be published, and even though
the company didn’t have the best reputation, I figured the publishing credit
was more important. I still believe that having that one published novel under
my belt helped lead to the acceptance of my novella “A Touch of Scarlet” by
Eternal Press and my novel “Song of Eidolons” by eTreasures Publishing soon
after. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Are you
currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you
have manuscripts that you will publish directly for Kindle?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have not self-published anything yet, but that doesn’t
mean I won’t. There’s this perception that self-published authors are lazy,
that they don’t want to do the work to get published “for real,” but with most
of the indie books I’ve read, that’s just not the case. I’ve read some really
amazing self-published books, and knowing how much time and effort those
authors put in makes them even better. I’m the lazy one. I want to spend all of
my time working on stories and conveying my personality to my readers. I have
no mind for business or the logistical side of publishing, and I’m really not
looking forward to figuring out formatting. Not my idea of a good time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xx3zvVxOiwQ..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xx3zvVxOiwQ..." width="208" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have worked with some really amazing artists provided by
my publishers, like Dawn Dominique for “A Touch of Scarlet” and Philip R.
Rogers for “Play the Way Home” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">(published under E.J. McCain).</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> I also
have to acknowledge my talented husband, Dave McHugh, who did the illustrations
and cover art for my novella “Danny Marble & the Application for Non-Scary
Things.” I have never had an issue dealing with the artists provided by the
publisher. They are always very sensitive to my vision, and if I don’t have
one, they’re great at creating something awesome. Reliquary Press, who
published my novels “The Sky: The World” and “From the Herald’s Wearied Eye” is
a company that makes their own covers, and they are some of my favorites so
far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
your writing process?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The way I begin a book really depends on the story.
Sometimes I plot a bit, the first few chapters maybe, but a lot of times, I
just start writing. I let the story possess me, and I get to know the
characters first. When I finish writing a story and get into editing, that’s
when the story gets its meat and loses its fat. I clean up the whirlwind
writing of a first draft and extend, extend, extend. Now that I know the entire
story, I can add bits of fun foreshadowing into the beginning and make the
characters much richer. I write everything by hand first, then type it up,
print out the manuscript to edit, type the corrections back into the computer,
and repeat until “perfect.” Then, I have the computer read the story aloud so I
can catch all of the little mistakes my eyes missed. It’s the best kind of
insanity there is. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What kinds
of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you
involved with trying to garner publicity for your book(s)?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m very active on my Facebook Author Page (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/author.Jessic...
). I use it to promote my work, of course, but I also like to post little
witticisms I call “DeepThoughtsy” or “McTruth.” I also like to support my inky
cohorts and will often post links to other indie authors I’ve encountered along
this crazy writing road. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Most of them are also at Barnes & Noble, as well as the
publishers’ websites. Just to name a few, you can find individual books at <a href="http://www.postmortem-press.com/"..., <a href="http://www.reliquarypress.com/"&..., <a href="http://etreasurespublishing.com/"....
If all else fails, just Google my name. Some helpful internet elf will help you
on your way.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I work on several writing projects at once, so while I’m
writing one book, I’m usually editing a few others. It’s absolutely difficult,
but if it was easy, everyone would do it. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
the best advice you can offer new authors?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Writing is hard, time-consuming work. If you’re serious and
passionate about being an author (a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i>
author, especially), you have to make time for (at least a little) writing
every day. Time, of course, is a about as readily available as Unicorn Pole
Dancers, but to produce stories, you have to find it—and hopefully use it to
write about Unicorn Pole Dancers. That brings me to my next piece of advice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Write something new. Push your boundaries. Create comforting
worlds and then, characters that rip those worlds apart. Have fun with your
imagination. Writers (all artists, really) are given an amazing gift in being
able to imagine vast universes that reality can never touch—and it’s not a gift
contained in a tiny box. There are no limits. Use that freedom well. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
next for you?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Wow, I’m working on so many projects right now. In addition
to writing extensions for my historical fiction “Verses of Villainy,” I’m
working on the first 2 books in my YA “Darla Decker” series, and I’m always
writing short stories and flash fiction for anthologies. I’ve already started
writing bits and pieces, but I hope to start writing my bizarre sci-fi novel “The
Green Kangaroos” full-time in a few months. </span></div>
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Blog Tour Promo Blast: WINTER'S MAGIC by Cynthia Gail

Winter's Magic is coming out Nov. 1. Celebrate with us starting October 1 and lasting all month long culminating to a release day party November 2! Winners will be picked and announced at the party. (emailed too) RSVP to the Facebook Party HERE 



Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world. 



After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda. 



Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women Nick's dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick's past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret.

  





Visit Cynthia Gail's Blog for Extra Entries for Fun Prizes HERE  

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Review: THE WEDDING WAGER by Regina Duke

  4 of 5 stars


What would you do to get out from under a crushing and massive debt? That's the dilemma facing Megan Mully who is finally released from the hospital after a horrific car accident. She's homeless and jobless and desperate--never a good combination. When she answers an ad for a companion, she meets millionaire Kevin Wake. He has a problem with a deadline and Megan is the perfect answer. Kevin agrees to help Megan with her debt and she agrees to Kevin's request to become his "temporary" wife.



This is a sweet marriage of convenience story. Megan is a saucy character with a mind of her own and how she handles Kevin's quirky family is quite unique. I loved Kevin's sister and how Megan interacted with her. The author definitely gave some thought to developing the secondary characters. They help flesh out an already enjoyable story. If you're looking for an romance with a few twists along the way, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's a quick read, but will definitely put a smile on your face. It's a delightful way to spend a lazy afternoon.